


Always by your Side

by Kyoraku Kurou (Arabis_Eclipse)



Category: Bleach
Genre: 'did you just kiss me?', Alternate Universe - Fantasy, Fluff, I apologize for any grammar or typing errors, Knight Hyourinmaru, M/M, Prince Toushirou, Romance, Slow Dancing, first one shot in forever, i think, it's just a crush
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2021-01-31
Updated: 2021-01-31
Packaged: 2021-03-18 07:13:29
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 5,444
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/29114316
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Arabis_Eclipse/pseuds/Kyoraku%20Kurou
Summary: Crown Prince Tōshirō attends his first official ball while his loyal knight Hyōrinmaru watches over him. It would be a very standard affair with dancing and good food, if not for one of the invited guests noticing something rather interesting about the young prince and deciding to confront him about it. On the Dancefloor no less.
Relationships: Hitsugaya Toushirou/Hyourinmaru
Comments: 10
Kudos: 14
Collections: The Seireitei Server Valentine's Writing and Art Challenge 2021





	Always by your Side

"Why do these uniforms have to be so tight?" Tōshirō groaned as he finished buttoning up the gala uniform that had been made specifically for this evening. It was a beautiful dark teal almost green color that, he had to admit, looked very nice on him.

"Obviously so that fat ugly nobles can at least pretend to look better than they really do", Matsumoto Rangiku laughed as she looked over her shoulder at the young prince. She herself was dressed in a beautiful dark red dress that accentuated her figure perfectly.

How he had become friends with the young noble lady, Tōshirō was still not sure. To be honest, everything was still a blur sometimes. Just a few months ago he had been the adoptive son of Kuchiki Sōjun until it was revealed to him that he was actually the crown prince and had only grown up with the Kuchiki family due to a prophecy putting him in grave danger if he had stayed in the castle.

Letting out a deep sigh, the young man looked himself over once more in the mirror but soon found his eyes wandering off to another person, reflected in the shining looking glass. Tall and broad shouldered his light blue, almost white uniform seemed to cling to him like a second skin making his long green hair seem even darker than it was and the thick cross scar on his face showed that he had seen his fair share of gruesome battles in his life.

Truly Hyōrinmaru was still an enigma to Tōshirō. Sometimes he wasn't even sure if he was truly human with how stoic and unemotional he could be. But still… despite the stories and rumors he had heard floating around about the King's dragon he couldn't get himself to fear the Knight like so many seemed to.

"You are looking good, your highness. Now stop fretting or we will have to call the tailors again to fix up your hems." Rangiku laughed and pulled the prince's hand away from the hem of his jacket, where he had been absentmindedly fiddling for a good three minutes. The poor boy. How often had she found him staring at the Knight commander now? It was so painfully obvious what was going on under that pretty white shock of hair of his, but she wondered if he even realized it himself. And with Knight Captain Hyōrinmaru the way he was it couldn't be easy for the poor boy either. That man was cold as ice, literally and figuratively.

"Now come. This is your evening and I'm sure everybody is already waiting for you."  
With these words the busty redhead shooed him out of his quarters with Hyōrinmaru close behind the two.

The ballroom was filled with a sea of people in all hues of the rainbow and as Tōshirō looked down at them all, he felt almost faint. Never good with people the thought alone of being the center of attention of so many people made his heart race. Matsumoto had left them just before they had entered the ballroom, mentioning something about it not being proper for them to enter together so he was all alone to stand against this sea of people.

But then a soothing coolness spread from his lower back, seeping through the soft material of his jacket and shirt and into his skin where it spread, calming his racing heart. Only after a few seconds did he realize that it was Hyōrinmaru, who had placed his hand on Tōshirō's back to get his attention.

"I am here, your highness. Nobody will approach you unless you address them first." Hyōrinmaru's voice was deep and so calm that it soothed Tōshirō's nerves just to hear him speak. How some people could say he was emotionless and cruel was beyond him. Even now he could hear the reassurance in the other's voice. He meant it when he said that he wouldn't have to talk to anybody if he didn't want to and Tōshirō knew that he would stay with him if that was what the young prince wanted.

"Thank you," he spoke softly and could feel his heart flutter again, but for a different reason now as he saw the faintest of smiles bloom on the Knight's face. His expression was usually so stoic that it caught Tōshirō off guard every time the taller man showed any outward emotion, even though he didn't have any problem reading the timber of his voice to find out how Hyōrinmaru was feeling.

Alright… He took a deep breath and descended the stairs leading right into the fray. He was sure that somebody must have announced him to the nobles and notable guests as they all broke out into applause when he was about halfway down the stairs but he just stared at his parents at the foot of the stairs smiling up at him.

"You look so handsome my dear." His mother, the Queen smiled and breathed a kiss on each of his cheeks. "Just like your father when he was your age."  
Tōshirō wondered if his father had also been short for his age. It was hard to imagine seeing that the king was almost as tall as Hyōrinmaru who generally towered over people.

The king also gave him a smile and a pat on the back. "Don't worry and just relax. Enjoy the evening." he said, his cerulean eyes warm and gentle as he looked down at his son.

When Tōshirō gave his father a nod and took a deep breath, it was Hyōrinmaru who spoke next, leaning down towards the boy's ear, his deep timbre just loud enough for the prince alone to hear him. "I will retreat to the sides of the room, your highness. I won't let you out of my sight, and there are men stationed throughout the hall, so you are safe. Enjoy the evening."

It was surprisingly hard for the taller man to right himself once more after he had bent down so close to the boy and taken in the scent of winter rose that seemed to always surround his young prince. He could feel the tug in his gut that was drawing him to the boy, had felt it the moment he had first seen him and it was nothing he hadn't expected. What he had not expected was how difficult it got day by day to suppress the urges rising up inside every time this beautiful teal gaze looked up at him in what could almost be reverence.

Slowly, every step measured and sure, the captain of the guard extracted himself from his prince and stepped towards the side of the ballroom that led out onto the balcony and into the gardens. With the open doors it would hopefully be less hot and stuffy as just like his prince, he had his problems with heat, though years of training have made it easier for him to hide his discomfort compared to Prince Tōshirō, who still slipped his shoes off when he thought nobody would notice.

As soon as Hyōrinmaru had left his side, Tōshirō already felt overwhelmed with the amount of people around him who seemed eager to talk to him but still, just as Hyōrinmaru had mentioned, stayed politely silent as he slowly walked through the sea of people. Some faces he had seen already in the castle but most were completely unfamiliar to him.

"Ah there you are your highness", a familiar voice came from his right and before he could even turn his head, Rangiku was back at his side, her arm linked with his and a wide smile on her face. Tōshirō had to admit, he was thankful for her right now, as it at least meant he didn't have to face anybody alone.

For a while they walked through the crowd, arm in arm nodding here and there at people and Rangiku even introduced some young nobles she knew personally and thought Tōshirō would find agreeable. In a corner Tōshirō could even see Master Ukitake, who had started to teach him about magic this week together with his friend from the knights. What was his name again? Kyo…. It was really hard to remember all those names that were thrown at him everyday. But they seemed to be deep in conversation so he decided against walking over to his teacher to inquire about his health. The man had seemed a bit paler than usual the day before.

Even Byakuya approached him for a moment, giving Rangiku a nod as he did so. He looked good in his dark red uniform with the Kuchiki crest embroidered on the left chest. His hair was held back by a black ribbon with only a well placed strand on his raven hair falling against his cheek.

"Your highness." he gave a curt bow and Tōshirō could see that he was still not quite sure how to interact with him. Not that he could blame the man. They had been brothers for 16 years and suddenly here they were, a prince and a Duke's son.

"Byaku-nii. How are you? I haven't seen you since we arrived here." Tōshirō spoke quietly but also couldn't find it in him to care if people found him rude. Kuchiki Byakuya had been his brother and he would always be his brother. He wouldn't treat him like a stranger just because their circumstances changed. And his words seemed to relax Byakuya a bit as he gave him a half smile and a raised eyebrow like he used to.

"I am doing fine, thank you. Getting used to the city and the new duties but that should be the same for you I assume."

"You have no idea." the young prince grinned widely and shook his head. Of course he had been taught a lot at the Kuchiki household but his teachers in the castle seemed to always find something he needed to improve on or even completely new things he needed to learn in preparation to one day ascend the throne.

"Has fath…. Duke Kuchiki sent you a message since we got here?" He had to bite his tongue at his slip up. It was hard to refer to Kuchiki Sōjun not as his father but it also felt wrong to call him his father when his actual father was just a few feet away from him talking to important guests. Luckily Byakuya seemed to know what was going on in his head and simply ignored the mistake with a short nod.

"He has. He says that it is rather quiet and that the servants seem to be far more relaxed now. He also hopes you are doing well and that we should come to visit as soon as we find the time."

"Oh I might have to invite myself along then." Rangiku laughed and pressed herself closer against Tōshirō so that he could feel her rather voluptuous chest against his shoulder. He wondered if she had no shame at all or if she treated him differently than other men. She wanted to say more, he could see that but then music began to flood the room and Rangiku beamed excitedly. "Oh the dances are about to begin. You have to dance at least once with me, your highness."

"Uh… I guess."

"If the young lady is too intimidating for your first dance, may I ask for it then?" An unfamiliar voice came from behind Tōshirō. It sounded rather masculine even though it was soft, young. Turning around the first thing he noticed was one stunning sea of green staring straight at him, sucking him in and swallowing him whole. Then after the first shock subsided, he was able to take in the rest of the person before him. It was a young man, just the faintest bit taller than him, he realized, with light blond hair that fell into his face, obscuring his left eye completely. His clothes were… different from what Tōshirō was used to. His outfit was a mixture of greens and dark blues and seemed at the same time like a second skin, showing off the slender body underneath and still flowing with extra lengths of fabric that seemed to have no other use than to gently move in the breeze.

"Well?" The man said with a rather smug smile and extended a gloved hand towards Tōshirō and before he could even debate if it was alright to dance with a total stranger and a man at that, he already felt himself getting tugged forwards and into the blond’s arms. When had he lifted his hand and placed it into the stranger's? He couldn't remember.

"Good boy~" the blond chuckled softly and guided Tōshirō to the center of the floor, where everybody made way for them when they were noticed. "Now your highness, don't worry about anything and just follow my lead." His voice was low and only meant for Tōshirō's ears. As his partner placed a hand on Tōshirō's hip he noticed the heat seeping in through the several layers of fabric into his skin. It was… His touch almost felt like Hyōrinmaru's but at the same time it felt entirely and utterly different. Like opposite sides of the same coin.

"Who are you?" the young prince blurted out before he could stop himself and think of a more polite way to phrase his question. Didn't Hyōrinmaru mention that nobody would approach him, if he didn't take the first step himself? And here he was with a complete stranger taking the lead and basically dragging him onto the dance floor.

"Yukio Hans Vorarlberna." The stranger said easily enough, his voice having a strange lilt to it as he spoke his name. "You could say I'm the elven emissary, here to welcome you home and to ensure your parents that we are still happy to keep our peace with them as long as they stick to their end of the treaties."

Elven… that explained a lot. The unfamiliar style of his clothing, the very unfamiliar name and the faint magic he felt seeping from Yukio into him where their bodies touched.

"But enough talk for now. Let us dance." And with those words, Yukio began to lead Tōshirō to the rhythm the orchestra was giving them. Soon other pairs followed suit and it was getting rather full on the dance floor. Tōshirō didn't notice any of it though as his attention was on Yukio alone and how their bodies moved against each other and with each other. He hadn't gotten many dance lessons yet but still he found it almost unsettlingly easy to follow Yukio's steps and he couldn't help but wonder if they looked as good to others as he felt dancing with the young elven man.

At some point though - was it still the same dance, or was it the next already? Tōshirō wasn't sure - their steps brought them towards the edges of the dancefloor and a splash of sea green in the corner of his eye made Tōshirō turn his head. What he saw was Hyōrinmaru, leaning against the wall, his hands crossed in front of his chest and his expression dark, darker than he had ever seen. For a moment Tōshirō's steps faltered before he practically forced his gaze away from the knight captain and returned his attention to his dance partner.

Of course Yukio had noticed the shift and slight tension in Tōshirō's body and let out a low hum as he tilted his head and looked at the young prince with a grin.

"Well isn't this interesting." he practically purred which sent hot shivers through Tōshirō and he had to force himself to stay calm and not fidget under this intense gaze.

"What is?" He tried to sound as neutral as possible as he stared past Yukio into the moving crowd around them.

With an almost frightening grin the young elven man leaned forward to whisper into Tōshirō's ear while he slowed their dance down to a slow sway of bodies. "Who would have thought that his royal highness has the hots for his knight captain."

Instantly Tōshirō tried to push away from the other man but found himself held in place with a strength he hadn't expected from the slender man. "Do you really want to make a scene right now and threaten the peace between our people just because I noticed that you probably wouldn't say no to some quality alone time with the good captain? If I had the chance I would have jumped him at the first opportunity."

The brassiness with which Yukio spoke of such things drove a rare shot of color into Tōshirō's cheeks. He didn't dare to look at the other man when he cleared his throat.  
"It is not like that. I am not… I do not…" he stammered, too embarrassed to even put the whirlwind of thoughts into words. How could he even try to say it out loud? Hyōrinmaru was a male, just like him and just like Yukio. He shouldn't even think about something like this.

A long sigh from Yukio drew his gaze back up to meet the elf's one visible eye and they began to move again around the room, slower now and this time very obviously to a different melody.

"I will never understand why you humans are so scared to love somebody. Of course reproduction is important but you don't need love to do that. So why not be with the one you love instead?"

"Love?" Tōshirō coughed at the implication. "I don't love Hyōrinmaru!" he was quick to deny though he kept his voice low as this was not a conversation he wanted to have in the middle of the ballroom floor. "Maybe I have a crush on him but that is purely because he's… he's the ideal knight and it has been my dream to become a knight since I was small."

"Oh? Just a little bit of Hero worship?" Yukio asked with an almost predatory grin. "Are you sure that is all there is? Nothing more?"

The look in Yukio's eye worried Tōshirō but at the same time he felt a weird tingling in his stomach under this intense gaze.  
"Nothing more…" he nodded, unable to tear his eyes from the blond, the spot where they touched seemed to get even warmer, almost hot as Yukio once again began to twirl him around the Ballroom as if it was the most natural thing for him.

"If it really is nothing more than a small innocent crush then surely you wouldn't mind this." Yukio's voice was almost velvety as he leaned forward to practically purr into Tōshirō's ear and before the white haired prince could ask what Yukio was talking about, his lips were sealed.

It took his mind a little to register that it was Yukio's lips pressing against him, burning hot and passionate. The next moment he was once more surrounded by coldness while he stared at a rather pleased blond man.

"Did you… just kiss me?" was all Tōshirō could get out as the shock and the heat slowly drained from his body.

"I would appreciate it if you refrained from such games your highness." Hyōrinmaru's dark voice rang in Tōshirō's ears and he realized that it was the knight's arms which were tightly wrapped around him that had pulled him from the young elven man.

"I didn't…" he began to explain himself, thinking that the knight was addressing him, when Yukio sighed and crossed his arms with a grin.

"Oh bitte Hyōrinmaru. Es war nur ein kleiner Spaß. Ich würde doch nie ernsthaft etwas anrühren das dir gehört." the young man began to speak in a language unfamiliar to Tōshirō and he realized that Hyōrinmaru had meant the other man and not him.

"Er gehört nicht mir. Ich diene ihm nur und würde es bevorzugen wenn ihr nicht seine Stellung und Ehre gefährden würdet." Hyōrinmaru answered in the same strange language, his arms still wrapped tightly around the young prince, surrounding him in a soothing coldness.

“Natürlich nicht, deswegen riecht er auch nur nach dir.” The young elf said with a rather pleased smile. This whole thing was getting rather annoying for Tōshirō since he had no idea what they were talking about though he had a feeling that they were talking about him.

“What did you mean when you addressed him as ‘your highness’?” he finally interjected, looking up at Hyourinmaru without making any attempts to leave the knight’s arms. It was… far too nice a feeling to end it. He felt surprisingly safe with the Knight’s arms wrapped around him.

At the same moment, Byakuya pushed through the onlookers with a rather worried expression, his hand looking for a sword he obviously wasn’t allowed to carry to a ball like this. “What is going on here?” he demanded to know, staring from Hyōrinmaru to his little brother or rather his prince and then to the handsome stranger.

“His Highness Yukio Hans Vorarlberna is the one and only heir to the throne of the summer court.” Hyōrinmaru explained after a deep breath and finally forced his arms to let go of the slender youth he served. He once again took a step back, returning to a more appropriate distance to his liege.

Yukio on the other hand had turned to look at the newcomer to their little get together, tilting his head slightly as he let his one visible eye run over the tall dark figure in front of him.  
“I apologize if my actions have offended anybody. I was not aware that, what is a mere greeting for us would lead to such a display.” He spoke softly and bowed down in a flowing motion. Of course he was neither sorry nor surprised at the outcome. His plan had been to provoke Hyōrinmaru or Prince Tōshirō to admit to something and at least Hyōrinmaru had given him quite enough.

“I think I took up quite enough of your time. Three dances might have been a bit excessive.” Yukio apologized to Tōshirō though he did look anything but apologetic and with a quick turn, the young elven prince looked at Byakuya who stared at him with a rather overwhelmed look that was rather adorable.  
“Would you grant me this dance then?” He asked with an extended hand towards the black haired man. He was handsome enough and it would be a good way to dissolve this little meeting that was drawing more and more attention.

The tension inside Hyōrinmaru slowly drained away when Yukio diverted his attention towards Kuchiki Byakuya, the prince’s foster brother. It had been a struggle to watch the two princes dance. Had it been anybody else, he probably would not have bat an eye. But elves, especially the members of the summer court could be rather alluring to those with an affinity to magic. It was the magic itself that drew people to them and losing his prince to the young elven prince would have been… painful. How could he ever expect to compete with royalty?

Tōshirō on the other hand was surprised when Byakuya did indeed take Yukio’s hand. It almost seemed like he was…? But no, Tōshirō had never seen his brother blush in all the time they had known each other. It was probably just the lighting and the red uniform that made him look less pale than he usually was. Tōshirō gave his brother an encouraging smile when their eyes met for a moment and then the two disappeared in the crowd, leaving Tōshirō and Hyōrinmaru alone at the edge of the ballroom. Slowly the people around them also diverted their attention back to the festivities, which Tōshirō was rather glad about because his mind was spinning with far too many questions thanks to Yukio’s rather strange behavior.

“I think I need some air…” he sighed and turned back to look at Hyōrinmaru with an apologetic smile. “Would you… accompany me?”

“Of course my prince,” the knight captain spoke with his usual calm tone and bowed ever so slightly, pointing at the open doors to their left. “May I suggest the gardens?”

Tōshirō was glad that Hyōrinmaru seemed unchanged by the game Yukio had played. Though he also wondered what they had talked about in this strange language. Stepping out onto the balcony that was connected to the gardens by an ornate staircase the young prince took a deep breath and continued his way down towards the hedge maze he had fallen in love with the moment he had first seen it.

“I didn’t know you spoke Elven. I assume that’s what that was, right?” He tried to start the conversation, hoping that it didn’t seem too forward. He had realized how little he really knew about the man who had sworn to protect him with his life.

For a long moment Hyōrinmaru kept silent, as they walked deeper and deeper into the maze. Tōshirō wasn't worried about losing his way, as he knew that Hyōrinmaru would find the way out again without trouble. He had done it before after all. But as the silence dragged on, the young prince wondered if he had been too bold after all or if Hyōrinmaru just didn't want to talk about it. Maybe he should just apologize and forget anything had happened. 

"You should be careful around Prince Yukio." 

"What?" Confused about the sudden change in topic, he turned around to look at the knight, though the dark night and the limited light of the crescent moon made it difficult to really see anything clearly. "Why? I mean with us both being the princes of our respective kingdoms we will inevitably run into each other again."

"I am aware of this." There was something in Hyōrinmaru's voice that worried Tōshirō, a tightness he had never heard before, like the taller man was fighting with something deep inside. He stepped closer to the other man hoping he could see more if he did so, but what he saw shot right through his heart. 

Hyōrinmaru’s face was twisted into a pained grimace and it broke Tōshirō’s heart to see him like that. He wanted to pull the other into his arms and… 

“Oh… oh no..” the young man breathed as the truth hit him and he stumbled a few steps back before turning around completely and continuing a fast pace through the maze. His mind was reeling, trying to catch up with the realization that had just hit him like a battering ram. 

Before he knew it, he was in the center of the maze, lightstones illuminating the open space and the sparkling pond in the middle with their magical light. It was even more beautiful at night than it was during the day, though right now he really didn’t have the headspace to really appreciate it. 

“Your highness?” Hyōrinmaru’s called out worried once more as the knight rounded the corner but stopped right in the archway leading to this magical place, his eyes fixed on the young prince illuminated by the greenish light of the lightstones and surrounded by fireflies that he had just roused. Sometimes he wondered if his young prince knew how beautiful he really was.

“I am sorry if I overstepped my boundaries. I just thought it prudent to warn you of the influence elves can have on those of magical talent like yourself.” Once more steeling his face to not let any emotion slip he stood up straight, staring past Tōshirō to not tempt himself any more than he already had.

“How do you feel about me Hyōrinmaru?” His prince spoke softly, almost too soft for normal ears to catch and once more Hyōrinmaru noticed the boy fidgeting with his sleeves, a habit they would have to train out of him should he ever have any success in important negotiations but a habit he still found utterly endearing.

“My feelings for your highness are irrelevant to my duties to you. My life is yours to command.” He went down on one knee, his fist pressed to his chest as he once more assured his prince of his fealty. He could feel his heartbeat calming at the simple truth laid out by himself. It didn’t matter what he wanted to do to Tōshirō in the dead of night when he lay alone in his bed trying to fall asleep. All that mattered was that he was allowed to stay by his prince’s side, even if seeing him fall in love and marry one day would be a very personal type of torture. 

“Then... “ Tōshirō spoke slowly, feeling his heart beat in his throat as he stepped closer to the kneeling man. There was a possibility that this would break his heart, he knew, but living without knowing, now that he was aware of his own feelings, seemed even worse.   
“Then I command you…. to tell me how you feel about me. Why did you pull me away from Yukio? Why did you hold onto me like… like you didn’t want to let go?” 

He held his breath, waiting for the Knight Captain to answer his questions. Now he could just hope that it would not entirely break him into pieces. 

“I did not want to let go. I separated you two because I could not stand seeing you kiss another. My heart and soul belong to you. They have been yours the moment we first met. I don’t expect anything, never expected anything in return. Just allow me to watch over you as long as you would have me my Prince.”

“Get up.” Tōshirō’s voice sounded painfully neutral as he commanded him to rise again to his feet. Which, of course, he did, always willing to do what his prince wanted from him. But he did not look up, did not want to see what he suspected from his prince’s words. 

“I think we should…” He began to speak, wanting to suggest them returning to the festivities before anybody could worry about the prince’s disappearance, but he found himself unable to continue when he felt cool hands on his cheeks and soft lips pressing against his own, sending sparks of lightning though his body. Shocked he stared straight ahead, seeing a shock of familiar white hair and fair skin. This could not be happening. 

Carefully as not to destroy the obvious illusion this had to be, Hyōrinmaru placed his arms around the prince’s back. Just feeling the slender body in his arms made him shiver and he couldn’t help but tighten his hold on Tōshirō once the first shock had worn off and the illusion had not burst. It was true, Tōshirō was truly in his arms, kissing him. With a low subconscious growl he returned the kiss in earnest. Moving against the young prince, he parted his lips slightly and let his tongue taste the cold sweetness of Tōshirō’s lips. He had not expected or intended anything more than that, so when the young prince sighed against him and parted his lips as well, inviting him to deepen the kiss, Hyōrinmaru was sure he had found heaven and it was right here, in his arms, kissing him like it was the only thing that mattered anymore.

He wasn’t sure how long they stood there like this, lost in each other and unwilling to let this moment fade away. But every moment had to end, even the most precious and so after what felt like an eternity and just a fleeting moment at the same time, they parted, though not far. Their breaths were heavy and Hyōrinmaru was sure that right now, his cheeks flushed and his eyes shining with what he hoped was love, Tōshirō was the most beautiful being in the world. 

“I hope Yukio won’t overwhelm Byaku-nii too much.” Tōshirō chuckled softly and relaxed against Hyōrinmaru. Feeling the low rumble of a laugh in the Knight’s chest brought a smile to his face and warmed his heart like he had never felt before. For once he did not mind the warmth.

“I think Lord Kuchiki will be fine. Despite how he acted before, his highness knows how to behave and not cause an incident that would void the treaties.” The knight spoke in a low rumble, his hand having taken up a gentle motion along Tōshirō’s lower back.

“Can we stay a little longer?”

“However long you wish my Prince.”

And with those words they kissed once more, under the faint moonlight and surrounded by fireflies, lost in their own small world.


End file.
